SEATTLE — KIDNAPPING DAY
The late afternoon sun bathed the backyard of the Cassian triplets—Cassian, Dorian, and Kane—with a golden light as they geared up for another impromptu baseball game. Excitement was written all over their childlike faces, ready to have fun under the clear sky.
Cassian, with his unruly hair and sparkling eyes, took on the role of the catcher. Kane positioned himself as the pitcher, gripping the ball firmly. Dorian, equipped with glasses that made him look like a miniature professional baseball player, was poised to bat.
“Kane, how much longer are you going to take to pitch?” impatiently inquired Dorian, waving his baseball bat.
“Relax, Dorian. When the ball comes, even with those huge glasses, you won't be able to see it,” teased Kane, smiling confidently.
Cassian intervened before the sibling rivalry could escalate. “No fights, guys. Let's play and have fun.”
The two brothers agreed, focusing on the enjoyment ahead. Kane prepared for the pitch, holding the ball with concentration. Dorian adjusted his batting stance, eager for the play.
The ball flew towards Dorian, who hit it with force, sending it speeding towards the neighbor Meg's house. Everyone knew this trajectory could only result in one thing: another broken window and a motherly scolding in the offing.
However, a surprise awaited. Cassian, realizing what was about to happen, ran towards the neighboring house, executing an impressive two-meter leap in the air. With surprising agility and speed, he caught the ball midair, displaying a triumphant smile.
Kane and Dorian were left speechless, gaping at the feet of their older brother.
“How on earth did you do that, Cassian?” Kane asked, bewildered.
Cassian, maintaining his triumphant smile, innocently asked, “Do what?”
“How did you do that, Cassian? You ran so fast and jumped over two meters!” exclaimed Dorian, still astonished.
Cassian casually replied, “Oh, that? Just did my best.”
Before they could fully grasp their brother's feat, Stacy, the babysitter, appeared in the backyard.
“What are you guys up to here?” she questioned suspiciously.
Kane, wide-eyed, responded, “Nothing, Stacy.”
Dorian reinforced, “Nothing, just playing.”
Stacy, knowing the boys well, narrowed her eyes. “You didn't break another neighbor's window, did you?”
Cassian, diplomatically skilled, quickly replied, “No, Stacy, we didn't.”
The babysitter knew their mother would be home soon, and the last thing they needed was trouble.
Stacy warned them, “Well, you better go inside and take a bath. Your mom will be here any minute.”
As they ran inside, the mischievous laughter of the boys echoed, knowing they had escaped another predicament – at least temporarily.
***
The triplets' room buzzed with the typical sibling chatter after the bath. Cassian, Dorian, and Kane, each on a quest for dry and comfortable clothes, soon found themselves dressing after the refreshing shower.
While Cassian calmly adjusted his shirt, the curious gazes of Kane and Dorian were fixed on him. Intrigued by their older brother's apparent calmness, Dorian couldn't contain his surprise.
Cassian noticed the curious looks from his brothers and, casually turning to face them, asked, “What are you guys looking at?” curious.
“How can you be so calm, Cassian? You just did something unbelievable!” Dorian exclaimed, his oversized glasses accentuating his expression.
Cassian, shrugging, turned to his brothers, questioning their amazement.
Dorian and Kane shared their incredulity with each other about what they had just witnessed. Kane, wide-eyed, revealed Cassian's heroic feat.
“You went so high! You looked like a superhero!” Kane exclaimed, visibly impressed.
Embarrassed by his brothers' exaggerated reactions, Cassian tried to downplay the situation. “It's not that big of a deal, just took a leap.”
Dorian, however, persisted in his astonishment. “How 'not a big deal'? You jumped over two meters!”
Cassian, resigned, tried to dissipate the amazement. “Okay, okay. It was just a jump. You guys can do it too.”
Kane and Dorian exchanged determined and curious looks.
“Really?” Kane asked uncertainly.
“Of course! I'll show you,” Cassian affirmed, adjusting his feet on the floor to demonstrate.
With a graceful push, Cassian leaped. “That's how it's done.”
“I'll go first!” exclaimed Kane, eager to try his brother's feat. Kane focused and jumped but didn't reach the same height as Cassian. “Okay, it wasn't as easy as it looks.”
Dorian, with a determined look, said, “Now it's my turn.”
The boy, with his awkward glasses, prepared to attempt the jump. However, while jumping, a strong smell reached his nostrils, distracting him and resulting in an awkward fall.
Concerned, Cassian quickly approached. “Are you okay, Dorian?”
Dorian, getting up and rubbing his nose, assured, “I'm fine, but there was a weird smell. It threw me off.”
Kane, trying to sniff the air, joked, “All I can smell is Stacy's burnt food.”
Cassian, curious, asked, “Dorian, what smell did you sense?”
Dorian, frowning, tried to identify the aroma. “It was like the smell of a wet dog.”
Surprised, Cassian noticed the same smell. “Did you sense that too, Kane?”
Kane, now also detecting the peculiar odor, agreed. “Strange, it does smell like a wet dog.”
From the top of the stairs, Stacy interrupted the discussion. “Boys, come down! Dinner's ready.”
The smell of food prevailed over any surprise, and the hungry triplets eagerly headed to the table.
***
The three brothers, seated at the dining room table, stared at their plates of pasta, resembling a strange mix of noodles and charred meatballs. Stacy, the babysitter, served portions with a smile, trying to cheer them up despite the culinary disaster.
“Guys, you better eat everything. It's not that bad,” Stacy suggested as she served Dorian's plate.
Dorian, looking at what was in front of him, asked with a disgusted expression, “Do I really have to eat all of this?”
Stacy, laughing, replied, “Don't be so dramatic, Dorian. I know it's not perfect, but it's the thought that counts.”
Kane, observing the tough meatballs on his plate, commented sarcastically, “Hard to believe this thing was once a cow.”
Stacy, trying to maintain good humor, retorted, “Well, sometimes cows need to be honored in the form of meatballs, right?”
Dorian, struggling to swallow the pasta, nodded with a grimace. “Yeah, but not today.”
Stacy, laughing, agreed, “Okay, okay, I get it. Cooking is not my strong suit.”
Cassian, forcing down a forkful, agreed with Stacy, “At least you tried, Stacy.”
Stacy, shifting the focus of the conversation, asked, “So, what do you guys want for your birthday? Halloween is coming up, and I'd like to know.”
Kane, excitedly, said, “I want a Seattle Mariners T-shirt!”
Dorian, showing his scientific side, stated, “I want a science experiment kit. There are some really cool ones at the downtown store.”
Stacy then turned to Cassian, who had been silent. “And you, Cassian? What would you like to get?”
Cassian, looking at his plate and then at Stacy, replied seriously, “I don't want anything.”
Surprised, Stacy insisted, “But everyone wants something for their birthday, Cassian. What would you like to receive?”
Cassian, looking into Stacy's eyes, said sincerely, “I just want a dad, Stacy. I wish our dad were here.”
There was silence in the dining room. Touched by the boy's response, Stacy said with warmth, “I'm sorry, Cassian. I'm sorry that you guys don't have a present father.”
The triplets, faced with the strange pasta, tough meatballs, and the absence of their father, shared a knowing look. As their birthday approached, amid difficulties, they had a moment of silence, each reflecting on the void they felt from the paternal figure in their lives.